Wild Hog Vineyard is a small family owned and operated winery and vineyard in the hills between Cazadero and Fort Ross on the Sonoma Coast. The owners, Daniel and Marion Schoenfeld, have transformed the rugged mountain property into a beautiful lush garden resplendent with vineyard, orchard, vegetable beds, and fragrant flowers. We have been making wine since 1977 and opened the winery in 1990. The wine making practices follow the traditional ways. The highest quality grapes are used, the wine is aged in small oak barrels, and the complete wine making process is carefully tended by hand from the moment the grapes arrive at the winery until they leave as bottled wine. Wild Hog Vineyard believes that one of life's finest pleasures is sharing a delicious meal and fine wine with good friends. We at Wild Hog invite you to become part of that enjoyment. THE VINEYARD & THE WINERY Wild Hog Vineyard is at the headwaters of Wild Hog Creek (from which the winery derives its name) 45 minutes west of the small town of Cazadero. At 1400 feet elevation and 5 miles from the Ocean east of Fort Ross, the vineyard avoids most of the summer fog. The climate of the coastal range, in conjunction with our farming practices, helps to produce intense flavorful grapes.The Wild Hog farm is approximately 110 acres that encompasses a large timber house and a 2000 square ft winery-both powered by solar and hydro electricity, a three acre family garden and fruit orchard, and 5 acres of certified organic grape vines. Hot days, cool nights, and large rainfall produce excellent growing conditions and transform the rugged hillside into lush gardens and delicious fruits. We are dedicated to farming and gardening without the use of chemical additives, insecticides, or herbicides and have been certified organic by California Certified Organic Farmers since 1981. A permanent cover crop of clovers and grasses is grown between the rows to hold and feed the soil and provide an environment for beneficial insects. We hoe and weedeat under our vines. Due to the excellent health of the vines, we have no significant insect problems. A CCOF approved micronized wetable sulfur is used to control powdery mildew in the vineyard. Drip irrigation is used on young vines, but once established, they are dry farmed. Wild Hog Vineyard farms 1.5 acres of Zinfandel grapes-with 10% Petite Syrah- which produces approximately 4 tons per acre and 3.5 acres of Pinot Noir which produces approximately 2 tons per acre. We also have a small block of Syrah, planted in 2000. The vines are vertically trellised with spacing varying from 8' by 12' to 7' by 9'. The vineyard is netted to keep out the birds and is fenced for deer and hog protection. Wild Hog Vineyard is proud to be one of the few wineries from this unique wine growing region that is slowly but confidently becoming known for producing world class wines. THE WINE & THE WINEMAKER 
At Wild Hog Vineyard it is difficult to separate the wine from the winemaker.
Daniel Schoenfeld began making wine as a home winemaker in 1977. He loved
good food and wine and wanted to share his enjoyment with friends. He and
Marion, his wife and co-owner, are both gardeners with a passionate belief in
sustainable living. Marion tends a three acre organic garden which produces
the vegetables and fruits that the family consumes. Daniel farms the five
acre vineyard above the house. Together with their two children, Iris and
Ariel, they harvest the bounty from the land. They take from the land only
what they give in return.
As a winemaker, Daniel has a very simple view-allow the fruit to speak for itself. All Wild Hog wines are unfiltered allowing the full flavor to be extracted. The grapes are picked ripe and crushed (or de-stemmed) into open top fermentors-1 to 4 ton size. Yeast is added and the must will ferment 10 to 21 days, until dry. The must is then pressed and the juice held in American oak barrels. After 12 months in the barrel for Pinot Noir and 18 months for Zinfandel, the wine is bottled at the winery, using our own equipment. Since we do no filtering, the wine is racked two or three times during its time in the barrel. The winery produces between 3000 to 4000 cases per year, depending on harvest and availability of good fruit. ESTATE BOTTLED WINES 
Our estate Pinot Noir and Zinfandel are produced from our 5 acre vineyard.
The grapes are organically grown and picked by hand.
Our estate Zinfandel is what first brought wide attention to the wines produced at Wild Hog. Our 1992 won a gold medal and best of class at the 1994 Sonoma County Harvest Fair. The Zinfandel is big and jammy with complex flavors of pepper, spice, black raspberry, and dark cherry. It is also well balanced and thus food friendly. Around 200 to 300 cases are produced annually. The Estate Pinot Noir has a characteristic cherry-berry fruitiness with intense flavors and a big structure. Production of this Pinot Noir is limited, making it a hard to find wine. PORTER BASS VINEYARD ZINFANDEL Located in the Russian River Valley, Porter Bass Vineyard is owned by Dirck and Sue Bass. Daniel met the Basses several years ago while hauling a truck load of their grapes for another winery. He was impressed with the care and concern they had for the quality of their grapes. When the winery opened, Dirck and Sue were the first growers we contacted regarding purchasing grapes. Since then the partnership has continued.The Porter Bass Vineyard is located high above Guerneville between the cool climate appellations of Green Valley and Russian River Valley. At an elevation of 500 feet, the hillside vineyard is sustainably farmed, head pruned, and produces approximately 2½ tons of Zinfandel per acre. The grapes consisently make a wine that ages well. It is loaded with big fruit, strong tannins, and has good acid levels. 
SARALEE'S VINEYARD PINOT NOIR Saralee's Vineyard is set against a background of stately old growth Oak trees. The 146 acre site was selected for its cool climate, rich, fertile Russian River Valley floor soil and rolling hillsides. First planted in the fall of 1989, Saralee's Vineyard is an experimental vineyard. With hundreds of different rootstock & clonal variations and state of the art farming practices, Saralee's Vineyard is a showcase of the future in wine grapes. The grapes are grown on relatively level land, in deep soil with a quad trellis system.The Pinot Noir fruit purchased from Saralee's Vineyard is a blend of 7 or 8 different clones chosen for their flavors of spice and fruit. We also make a Dolcetto and Syrah from the hillside section of Saralee's Vineyard. We at Wild Hog have been working with Saralee since 1994 and love using these exceptional grapes. SAINI VINEYARDS In 1997, we were experienced the wonderful Carignane fruit grown by the Saini family. Grown on the bench of Dry Creek Valley, these vineyards are farmed by 3 generations of the Saini family. The head pruned vines are 50 years old. To our knowledge, no Carignane has been planted in Sonoma County in at least 30 or 40 years. Low yield, combined with dry farming on one of the best locations on earth, make this wine a joy to drink.For pricing and ordering information, please contact: Daniel or Marion Schoenfelde-mail: info@wildhogvineyard.com Wild Hog Vineyard P.O. Box 189 Cazadero, CA 95421 (707) 847-3687 |